Bed patient turn and hold device

ABSTRACT

A device for turning and holding a person lying on a bed includes a flexible muslin sheet with a fleece cushion at the middle and attachment members for holding it wrapped across the person on the bed. These attachment members may be flexible straps at one side edge of the sheet that are looped around the bed rail on the opposite side of the sheet and are held closed by snap fasteners. Alternately, the attachment members may be Shooks received in eyelets in the sheet to hold the opposite side edges of the sheet together.

United States Patent 11 1 Witter May 20, 1975 [54] BED PATIENT TURN AND HOLD DEVICE 2,295,806 9/1942 Peterson l28/l34 3,098,479 7 1963 St 128 l [76] Inventor: Evely" Rum 1924 7th 3,817,245 6i1974 K e ger midi Ct., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33304 [22] Filed: Apr. 8, 1974 Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Henry J. Recla [21] Appl' 458758 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Oltman and Flynn Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 355,972, June 1, [57] ABSTRACT 1973, abandoned.

A device for turning and holdlng a person lying on a 52 US. Cl. 128/133; 5/327 R bed includes a flexible muslin Shw with a flfiece Cush- 51 Int. Cl. A6lg 7/10 M at the middle and attachment members for holding [58] Field at Search 128/133, 134 132 R 94 it wrapped across the person on the bed. These attach- 128/155, 156, 157, 284 87; 2/44; 5/321] ment members may be flexible straps at one side edge 327 B 61; 27/28 1 R of the sheet that are looped around the bed rail on the opposite side of the sheet and are held closed by snap [56] References Cited fasteners. Alternately, the attachment members may UNITED STATES PATENTS be Sehooks received in eyelets in the sheet to hold the l 063 423 6/913 Ed F /327 B opposite side edges of the sheet together.

e in 1,334,901 3/1920 Higdon 5/61 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Pmmin z ms SHEET 10? 2 IBEID PATIENT TURN AND HOLD DEVICE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending US. patent application, Ser. No. 355,972 and now abandoned, filed June 1, 1973.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various devices have been proposed heretofore for turning a person lying on a bed, usually a patient in a hospital, nursing home or the like. For example, the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,334,901 is for this purpose.

Various other devices have been proposed for bolding a patient, or a particular part of the body, in a confined position on the bed. For example, devices for such purposes are shown in British Pat. No. 964,401 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,032,780 and 3,640,273.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a novel and improved device for both turning a person on a bed and holding him confined comfortably in the position to which he has been turned. It is particularly advantageous for use in hospitals or nursing homes on bed patients who should remain in the position to which they have been turned, either for their own comfort, to facilitate their their recovery, or for the convenience of the attending personnel.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of two presently-preferred embodiments thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of the present turn-and-hold device;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the right side of the FIG. ll device turned over, with the straps there looped over and secured by snap fasteners;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the FIG. I device applied to a patient in a hospital bed to hold him turned on one side;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of the present turn-and-hold device;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the FIG. 1 device in its wrap-around condition, with its opposite side edges fastened together; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the FIG. 4 device applied to a bed patient to hold him turned on one side.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of de scription and not of limitation.

Referring first to FIGS'l l-B, the turn-and-hold device shown there comprises a flexible, relatively thin sheet 10 of muslin or other suitable textile fabric that has a width several times its length. The width of the sheet is greater than the width of the mattress 11 (FIG. 3) of the hospital bed on which the device will be used and is enough for the sheet to be wrapped substantially completely around the bed patient without discomfort to him. The length of the sheet if is enough to substantially cover the hips of the bed patient. In one practical embodiment, the length of the sheet is l 1.5 inches, and the width is 54 inches.

At the left side in FIG. 1, a pair of flexible straps 12 and 13 extend beyond the side edge M of the sheet along the latters opposite transverse edges 15 and 16. Similar straps l7 and 18 extend from the opposite side edge 19 of the sheet. A fleece cushion 20 extends up from the sheet 10 midway between its opposite side edges 14 and 19. In one practical embodiment this cushion is 11.5 inches long (from edge 15 to edge 16) and is 30 inches wide, and it is made ofKodel R poly ester pile fabric.

The strap 18 carries a female snap fastener member 21 on its outer, free end (remote from the side edge 19 of the sheet), and the sheet carries three complementary male snap fastener members 22,23 and 24 located along the same transverse edge 16 of the sheet as where the strap 18 is located. These snap fastener elements 22-24 are spaced a few inches apart across the width of the sheet, and any one of them may be engaged by the fastener member 21 on the free end of strap 18 when the strap is looped over as shown in FIG. 2. When these fastener elements are snapped together they hold the loop closed, but they are manually releasable by the nurse or other attendant.

A similar snap fastener arrangement is provided at the other strap 17 and along the corresponding trans verse edge 15 of the sheet, and corresponding elements of this snap fastener arrangement have the same reference numerals, with an a suffix added. Snap fasteners at the other straps 12 and 13 have the same reference numerals, with c and d suffixes, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, this device is placed under the patient on the bed with the fleece cushion 20 facing up and engaging the patients hips. If the patient is to be turned onto his right side, that side of the sheet 10 is wrapped snugly down around the side edge of the mattress l1 and the straps I2 and 13 are tucked under the mattress there. The opposite side edge 19 of the sheet is lifted up and wrapped over the top of the patient, and in the process the sheet turns the patient over onto his right side. The straps l7 and 18 are looped clockwise in FIG. 3 under, around the outside, and then over the top of the top run 25 of the rail on this side of the bed, and then the fastener members 21a and 21 on the free ends of these straps are snapped onto a selected pair of fastener elements 220 and 22, 23a and 23 or 24a and Z l, on the sheet proper, depending upon the size of the patient and the desired degree of snugness with which he is to be held in this turned position.

This device is particularly useful for bed patients who are in a coma, or are paraplegic or otherwise immobile and should be turned at intervals to avoid pneumonia and pressure sores. Also, it is advantageous for taking rectal temperatures, giving hypodermic injections and other back care.

This device provides such great leverage that comparatively little effort is required for even a small nurse or other attendant to turn a heavy patient. After being turned, the patient is held snugly and comfortably in the turned position, and there is very little possibility that he may move out of this position, either accidentally or deliberately.

FIGS. 4-6 show an alternative embodiment which is essentially similar to the embodiment of FIGS. I-3 except for the arrangement by which it is fastened in the wrapped-around position after the patient has been turned. Elements in the FIG. 4 device which correspond to those in the FIG. 1 device are given the same reference numerals, with a prime" suffix added.

In place of the straps and snap fasteners, the device of FIGS. 4-6 is provided with S-hooks 30, 31 and 32 and eyelets in the sheet at its opposite sides. In the particular embodiment shown, at the left side the sheet has an outer row of three eyelets 33, 34 and 35 located just inward from the side edge 14' of the sheet, and an inner row of three eyelets 36, 37 and 38 located several inches inward from the outer row. At the opposite side, the sheet has a similarly located outer row of eyelets 33a, 34a and 35a, and an inner row of eyelets 36a, 37a and 38a.

Depending upon the size of the patient, the S-hooks 30, 31 and 32 may be located first in either the outer row or the inner row of eyelets on either side of the sheet Then, when the patient is turned, the opposite ends of these hooks are inserted in the eyelets on the opposite side of the sheet which are brought into overlying registration with hook-holding eyelets. Such registration is provided on the outside of the top rung 25' of the bed rail, as shown in FIG. 3., so that now the entire sheet is looped over the bed rail at this side of the bed to hold the patient in the position to which he has been turned.

If desired, attachment arrangements for holding the sheet wrapped around the bed patient may be provided which differ from the two embodiments shown. For example, the sheet may have one or more hooks at each side edge for engagement over different rungs of the beds side rail toward which the patient is turned.

I claim:

1. In a device for turning a person lying on a bed having a rail and comprising a flexible sheet means to be wrapped around the person, and a cushion means on said sheet means at the middle for cushioning the person, said sheet means having side edges extending beyond said cushion means, the improvement which com prises:

first fastener means at a side edge of the sheet means for fastening the same to the rail;

and second fastener means releasably engageable with said first fastener means at the rail for releasably holding the sheet means at the rail and wrapped around the person on the bed;

said first fastener means comprising flexible straps extending from the sheet means at said one side edge, and a snap fastener element on the free end of each strap; and said second fastener means comprising a plurality of snap fastener elements on the sheet means extending from said one side edge and spaced apart across its width in alignment with the snap fastener elements on the free ends of the straps for selective locking engagement individually by the latter. 2. ln a device for turning a person lying on a bed having a rail and comprising a flexible sheet means to be wrapped around the person, and a cushion means on said sheet means at the middle for cushioning the person, said sheet means having side edges extending beyond said cushion means, the improvement which comprises:

first fastener means at opposite side edges of the sheet means for fastening the same to the rail;

and second fastener means releasably engageable with said first fastener means at the rail for releasably holding the sheet means at the rail and wrapped around the person on the bed;

said first fastener means comprising openings toward the opposite side edges of said sheet means;

and said second fastener means comprising hooks releasably engageable with said openings.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said hooks are substantially S-shaped. 

1. In a device for turning a person lying on a bed having a rail and comprising a flexible sheet means to be wrapped around the person, and a cushion means on said sheet means at the middle for cushioning the person, said sheet means having side edges extending beyond said cushion means, the improvement which comprises: first fastener means at a side edge of the sheet means for fastening the same to the rail; and second fastener means releasably engageable with said first fastener means at the rail for releasably holding the sheet means at the rail and wrapped around the person on the bed; said first fastener means comprising flexible straps extending from the sheet means at said one side edge, and a snap fastener element on the free end of each strap; and said second fastener means comprising a plurality of snap fastener elements on the sheet means extending from said one side edge and spaced apart across its width in alignment with the snap fastener elements on the free ends of the straps for selective locking engagement individually by the latter.
 2. In a device for turning a person lying on a bed having a rail and comprising a flexible sheet means to be wrapped around the person, and a cushion means on said sheet means at the middle for cushioning the person, said sheet means having side edges extending beyond said cushion means, the improvement which comprises: first fastener means at opposite side edges of the sheet means for fastening the same to the rail; and second fastener means releasably engageable with said first fastener means at the rail for releasably holding the sheet means at the rail and wrapped around the person on the bed; said first fastener means comprising openings toward the opposite side edges of said sheet means; and said second fastener means comprising hooks releasably engageable with said openings.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said hooks are substantially S-shaped. 